


Way to Go, Kid

by Iknowyouknowleeknow



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, M/M, i wrote this for a tumblr prompt thing, jisung doesn't like attention, minho is a bartender and sung is a regular, the title is the prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 12:27:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19273297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iknowyouknowleeknow/pseuds/Iknowyouknowleeknow
Summary: For as long as the bar Minho worked at had been hosting Friday night performances, Jisung had been there.He always sat at the same small table in the back, always alone, always slowly nursing a bottle of beer. He never performed, but it was clear from the way he watched that he wanted to be up there. Minho encouraged him every time, making sure he was there at the end of the night when Jisung finished his drink, snagging the bottle and popping the question, “Will we see you on stage next week?”Jisung would always look up at him and hesitate, before nodding, “Yeah, next week.”But the next week he’d be back, huddled at the table alone, his name nowhere to be found on Minho’s list of acts.





	Way to Go, Kid

**Author's Note:**

> this was for a tumblr prompt thing

For as long as the bar Minho worked at had been hosting Friday night performances, Jisung had been there.

He always sat at the same small table in the back, always alone, always slowly nursing a bottle of beer. He never performed, but it was clear from the way he watched that he wanted to be up there. Minho encouraged him every time, making sure he was there at the end of the night when Jisung finished his drink, snagging the bottle and popping the question, “Will we see you on stage next week?”

Jisung would always look up at him and hesitate, before nodding, “Yeah, next week.”

But the next week he’d be back, huddled at the table alone, his name nowhere to be found on Minho’s list of acts.

“He finally did it,” Minho’s coworker, Woojin, slid the clipboard with the performance list on it towards Minho, jabbing his finger at a name halfway down.

Minho picked it up, his eyes falling on the scribbled _Han Jisung_ in the middle of the lineup. He lifted his gaze, searching around the bar for the younger boy. He found him at his normal table, hunched over and clearly nervous.

“I’m going…” Minho set the clipboard back down on the bar and gestured towards where Jisung was sitting. Woojin nodded, so Minho grabbed a bottle of Jisung’s favorite beer and headed across the room.

He set the drink down on the table and Jisung startled, lifting his head to gaze at Minho from under the brim of his bucket hat. His lips were clearly bitten and his ring covered fingers trembled when they reached for the beer Minho had brought him.

“Hey,” Minho pulled out the seat next to Jisung and sat down, nudging the younger boy’s leg with his knee as he did so. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t want to set Jisung’s nerves even more on edge, didn’t want to make it into a huge deal, even though it was. Instead he opted for a lopsided smile and a compliment, “You look nice tonight.”

Jisung blinked at him, then dropped his gaze to his own body for a second before snapping it back up to Minho. A very light blush worked its way up his cheeks, almost impossible to catch in the dim lighting of the bar, but Minho was used to staring at Jisung and noticed the shift in his complexion immediately. He grabbed the beer, wincing slightly as the metal of his rings rang off the glass, and took a few small sips before responding, soft and unsure, “Thank you.”

Silence settled over them and Minho drummed his fingers on the table top, keeping an eye on Woojin to make sure he wasn’t getting swamped at the bar. Jisung’s leg bounced, brushing Minho’s as it bobbed up and down. Without thinking, Minho dropped his hand from the table to Jisung’s leg and it stilled instantly. A wide eyed stare met his own and now it was Minho’s turn to blush, his fingers quickly retreating.

“Sorry.”

“‘S okay,” Jisung mumbled, his gaze locked on the spot on his black jeans where Minho’s hand had just been.

Minho got to his feet, pushing his chair back in and clearing his throat. He had so many things he wanted to say. _I’m proud of you. You’re going to be amazing. You’re so talented. You look beautiful. I fell for you the second I saw you, all those months ago, and I’m still falling. I care about you, more than you probably realize, and it hurts that you don’t see how incredible you are._

He settled on one last smile and a gesture towards the bar, his heart full of all the things he failed to say, “I have to get back to work.”

Jisung nodded, tracing his finger around the lip of his beer bottle, blush still high in his cheeks. Minho wondered if it was from his proximity, but brushed that off as wishful thinking. He took a few steps away, towards the bar, before he turned back. He reached out, not thinking, not caring, and pulled Jisung out of his seat, wrapping the younger boy in a tight hug.

Jisung made a noise of surprise, his body stiff against Minho’s, but he relaxed after a second, his own arms coming up to circle the bartender.

“I’m so proud of you,” Minho whispered fiercely, his voice low enough for only Jisung to hear. “You’re amazing.”

Jisung’s hands tensed against Minho’s back, fisting into his shirt, “You don’t know that. I’m probably going to screw it up.”

“I didn’t say you were going to be amazing, I said you are amazing. And you are, whether you go up there and perform like a star, or you go up and forget all the words. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you finally feel comfortable enough to try. You’re amazing, even if all you do is stand up there and stare into the crowd.”

There was a short sniffle and then Jisung pulled away, rubbing at his eyes with the long sleeve of his shirt. Minho diverted his gaze, giving the younger boy some privacy, but he kept one hand reassuringly on his hip.

“Thank you,” Jisung’s reply was so soft Minho barely caught it, but it was enough. He lifted his free hand and flicked the brim of Jisung’s hat, smiling at the other boy. Jisung smiled back, a little shakily, and Minho’s heart melted.

“Minho! Stop flirting and come help me!”

Both boys startled as Woojin’s loud voice carried across the room and Minho stepped back, his hand falling from Jisung’s hip.

Jisung’s blush this time was fierce, obvious even with the dim lighting, and he fumbled for his beer, eyes darting around the room. Despite Woojin’s announcement, no one seemed to be looking at them, and Minho saw Jisung visibly relax, his shoulders slumping in relief.

Minho knew it was nothing against being seen with him, knew from watching Jisung that the younger boy wasn’t a fan of attention, good or bad. It had taken ages before he had finally gotten use to Minho’s gaze, no longer shrinking away when their eyes met from across the room.

Not wanting to stress him out any further and cause him to change his mind about performing, Minho stepped away, but not before reaching out and squeezing Jisung’s hand.

Jisung squeezed back, tightly, before his fingers dropped and he returned to his seat, curling into his insecurities once again.

Minho made his way back to the bar, his gaze constantly jumping to Jisung as he went. He wanted to be there with him, wanted to hold his hand and tell him he was great, wanted to cheer for him so loudly that no one else’s opinions would matter.

But instead he slipped back behind the bar, knowing that his crush on Jisung wouldn’t do anything to help the other boy. He picked up a rag and started wiping down glasses, his own insecurities rearing their ugly heads.

He was just a broke college kid with a shitty job who was barely passing any of his classes.

Jisung wouldn’t want him anyway.

-

When it was finally Jisung’s turn to take the stage, Minho stopped working, gripping the edge of the bar with white knuckled hands. Jisung looked so small up there, drowning in his oversized shirt and the judgement of everyone’s gazes.

A second before the music started, Jisung’s eyes locked on Minho’s, wide and afraid. Minho wanted to swoop in and save him from himself, but he knew Jisung needed to do this. Minho smiled at him just as the music hit.

It was like a flip had been switched. The timid boy who hated being seen was gone, replaced by a charismatic figure who spit fire as he slipped the brim of his hat lower over his eyes.

It was no surprise to Minho that Jisung could rap well. He’d listened to his music on soundcloud and even had a mixed cd that Jisung had shyly handed to him two months after he first started coming to the bar, asking Minho which songs he’d like to hear live. But Minho wasn’t expecting Jisung to actually _perform_ , not with the way he balked at having eyes on him. He’d expected Jisung to stumble through the verses, eyes downcast. Minho did not expect him to be working his way across the small stage, eyes burning and a smirk flirting across his lips as he performed Minho’s favorite song. It had been months since Minho pointed it out as the one he most wanted to see Jisung do, and he was shocked that the other boy had remembered.

The music came to an end and Jisung hurried off stage to thunderous shouts and applause.

“Damn,” Woojin let out a low whistle, then turned to Minho. “Pick your jaw up off the floor and go compliment your man.”

Jisung made it to the bar while Minho was still trying to process everything and he just stared, mouth open, as Jisung removed his hat and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. Minho could see that he was shaking and the fiery look in his eyes had faded, leaving him open and vulnerable.

It was Woojin would made the first move, crossing the bar to slap Jisung on the back, “Way to go, kid. That was sick.”

Jisung accepted the compliment with a nod, but his gaze never left Minho’s.

Woojin returned and gave Minho a shove towards Jisung, breaking him out of his shock as he stumbled around the bar.

“You were…” He couldn’t find any words to explain how truly incredible Jisung was, so he just settled for a soft, “Wow.”

Self-consciousness leaked from Jisung’s every pore as he dropped his eyes, shuffling his black booted foot against the sticky ground, “Thanks.”

“I didn’t...I didn’t expect that,” Minho was having trouble breathing as he pushed a trembling hand through his hair. “You were, god, you were amazing.”

“I did it for you,” Jisung’s voice was quiet. “I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me anymore.”

“I have never been disappointed in you before, Sung,” Minho reached out and grabbed the younger boy’s hands without thinking, gripping them in his as he stared into his eyes. “Never.”

Jisung’s searching gaze stayed on Minho’s for a few seconds, then he let it drop as he mumbled, “I’ve always hated attention. But when you started looking at me, it didn’t feel like I was being stared at and judged, it felt like I was being seen. And I just…” he trailed off, his eyes on where Minho’s hands were still tightly gripping his. “I wanted to say thank you. And I wanted to make you proud.”

It was Woojin who broke the spell that surround them, leaning over the bar to jab Minho in the shoulder, “This is the point where you kiss him, idiot.”

Minho felt his cheeks heat up as he muttered, “He doesn’t want that.”

“I do,” Jisung’s voice was so soft Minho almost missed it, but he didn’t miss the younger boy shuffling closer, his hands damp where they were clutched in Minho’s. “I do want that.”

“Oh,” Minho breathed, shaky and unsteady. His heartbeat was hammering so loud he was sure Jisung could hear it and he suddenly forgot everything; forgot how to move, how to breathe, how to kiss.

It was Jisung who ended up initiating it, pressing up on his toes with his hands still in Minho’s to connect their lips.

It was very chaste and very brief, but Minho missed the warmth of Jisung’s mouth as soon as it was gone.

It broke him out of his stupor and he released Jisung’s hands so he could wrap his arms around him instead, pulling the other boy into him with one hand on his hip and another on his face. This time the kiss was longer, Minho slowly working his mouth against Jisung’s as he swiped a thumb over his cheek, coaxing the other boy’s lips to move.

Jisung was fumbling and clearly inexperienced, but Minho whispered praises against his skin when he pulled back, ducking his head to hide in the curve of Jisung’s neck. Jisung’s hands clenched tightly at Minho’s hips and he lifted his face to make sure the other boy was okay.

He expected to find him searching the bar, looking to see who had spotted them, but instead he was staring at Minho, eyes starry and cheeks beautifully rosy. It was Minho who glanced around, noticing a few people eyeing them. One of the regulars saw Minho looking and lifted his beer in a silent salute, tipping it towards Minho before taking a sip and shooting him an overjoyed thumbs up.

Minho laughed and nuzzled his face back into Jisung’s neck. Maybe his crush on Jisung hadn’t been as subtle as he thought.

“People are looking,” Minho mumbled into Jisung’s skin. He didn’t want to let the other boy go, but he didn’t want him to be uncomfortable, so he placed one last kiss on his neck before pulling back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jisung still hadn’t turned around to see what was happening, keeping his eyes on the boy in front of him. “They’re probably just jealous that I can do this and they can’t.”

He pressed up on his toes again, grabbing Minho’s face and kissing him deeply. Minho laughed, disturbing the kiss as he bundled the younger boy up in his arms.

“Thank you for believing in me,” Jisung mumbled against Minho’s shoulder. “It made me want to be a person who’s worthy of you.”

“You’ve always been worthy,” Minho tipped back Jisung’s hat, running his fingers softly through the younger boy’s bangs. “You’re incredible.”

“It’s going to take me some time to get used to it, but I want to be seen. With you. Out there,” Jisung lifted his head and gestured towards the door, nerves flickering across his face. “Is that okay?”

“More than okay,” Minho assured him. “But I’m just a poor college student with a shitty job who’s a few missed classes away from flunking out. I want to be with you, so bad, but I’m not...I’m nothing.”

“Don’t say that,” Jisung’s voice was fiercer and steadier than Minho had ever heard it, his eyes steely as they locked on Minho’s. “That’s not true. You’re amazing. You’re kind and encouraging and supportive and you make me feel appreciated in a way I’ve never felt before. You mean more to me than I could ever explain.”

There was a tightness in Minho’s chest and he laughed a little, trying to hide the way his throat was thick with tears, “Thanks, Sung.”

“We’ll work on them together,” Jisung reached out and gently wiped away a tear Minho hadn’t noticed leaking out. “Our insecurities.”

“Together,” Minho nodded, pulling Jisung close one last time before he reluctantly released him. “I have to get back to work.”

“Okay.” Jisung hitched his thumb back towards his table, “I’ll be there. Staring at you. Like always.”

Minho laughed and made his way back around the bar, snagging a beer and sliding it towards Jisung, “And I’ll be here. Staring at you. Like always.”

Jisung picked up the bottle and grinned, then made his way back to his table, constantly throwing glances over his shoulder as he did. A few people stopped him, either to congratulate him on his performance or on Minho, and Minho watched as a blush slowly made its way up the other boy’s cheeks.

But he didn’t back down, he didn’t hide. He accepted the attention and the praise and when he finally made it back to his seat, his eyes found Minho’s immediately as his face broke out into a wide smile.

It took everything Minho had not to scream out across the room how proud he was. He could tell him later, he reasoned. He had the right to see him outside of work now.

And that’s exactly what he did, swooping the younger boy up in his arms as they stepped out onto the sidewalk later that night. Jisung laughed and pressed giggly kisses to his cheeks and chin and lips, his face bright and happy as Minho showered him with praise.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you as always for your time and your love <3  
> my writing/minsung [tumblr](http://vminni.tumblr.com/) and my normal [tumblr](https://thatkpopkidmarklee.tumblr.com/)  
> 


End file.
